Drifting Lotus
by ThisIsNotAScript
Summary: Lotus is a Cybertronian, and she is friends with Drift. Drift has stayed with her for hundreds of years, through thick and thin. He worries about her every day, especially when she is bed-ridden for making herself sick. Lotus goes with Drift on the Lost Light, but it'll be hard for her to live in this environment. TRIGGER WARNING
1. Prologue

**I do not own Transformers. I only own Lotus, and her story. Please check out the original** **Transformers franchise if this interests you, the characters and story line from "More Than Meets the Eye" are so amazing. Also, WARNING. This contains content that may trigger you, so beware. Enjoy!**

Lotus was sick. Nothing new. But it made Deadlock worry. He could hear her throwing up in the bathroom, but when he tried to open the door, it was locked.

He leaned on the door and called out, "Lotus! Let me in!"

He heard Lotus heave again, but her tanks were empty. Three more heaves, and she picked herself up and opened the door. Deadlock grabbed her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest.

Falling to his knees, he leaned on the wall and whispered to her sweet nothings.

Lotus fell into recharge, and Deadlock sighed, rocking her back and forth and holding her closer. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

 **I will not tolerate flames.**

 **-ThisIsNotAScript**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello again! I don't own the Transformers franchise, but I do own Lotus, and her story. And, if you like the story, please go take a look at the comic line** _ **More Than Meets the Eye.**_ **Writing this story is really calming to me, and it makes me happy, so no flames, please! Although, I will happily take comments and questions. Thank you!**

Lotus rolled her optics back, and fell into Drift's arms, snickering. Drift caught her, but then picked her up and spun her around. She clung to him and laughed.

Rodimus grinned at them from his seat. Drift had been cut off from listing off the number of bots on board when Lotus leaped on him in a greeting. The two old friends played like sparklings for a few more minutes, but Ultra Magnus cut it short by glaring and saying, "Shouldn't you be in the med bay, Lotus? I was told you were on bed rest."

Drift sighed, tugging her close, frowning. "Ultra Magnus is right, Ratchet won't be happy to find you gone."

Lotus bumped her helm into his chin, shaking slightly in his grip from her lack of energy. "I'm fine! Besides, Ratchet wouldn't take me to see you himself, and you were going to be too busy to come see me for the rest of the day anyways."

Drift tilted her helm up and looked her in the optics. "Let someone walk you back to the med bay, and I promise I'll come see you tonight, okay?"

"Hai." She nodded, hugging him tightly before letting Highbrow pick her thin frame up and carry her from the room.

Drift watched his old friend go, frowning and thinking deeply. Rodimus watched him, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Hundreds of years later, and even though she's changed, she hasn't stopped killing herself."

"She did this back then, too?"

"Yes." Drift turned back to his holopad and read off numbers, shutting the conversation down.

* * *

As the ship took off, Lotus leaned back onto the berth, squirming. Ratchet yelled form across the room, "Settle down and stay still before I strap you down!"

Before she could scream back at him, a large shake tore through the ship, and tossed her from her berth. Lotus closed her optics tightly and screamed, flailing around and convulsing.

Ratchet leaped into action, yelling for help. Chromedome sprinted inside of the room with Rewind, and he held Lotus still while Rewind stroked her helm, shushing her and whispering to her. "Shhh, it's okay. You're alright."

Rung, who had been out in the hallway, came inside and helped to calm Lotus down. He looked over her when she had calmed down somewhat, now only shaking violently in her friend's arms, slowly falling into recharge. He noticed the tube in her arm, and questioned Ratchet about it as Chromedome set her back onto her recharge slab.

"She's had that tube in for a few months now. It's for her recharge meds."

Rung sat where Ratchet had told him to for his arm to become reunited with his elbow. "She doesn't take her medicines on her own?"

"No. She rarely eats, too. The only one who can seem to get her to intake anything is Drift, but the idiot is always helping Rodimus with his "captain duties" these days."

Chromedome and Rewind had long since left, but Lotus still awoke to a familiar face. Swerve grinned down at her, leaning in far too close to her face for comfort. She shoved his face away, grumbling.

Swerve laughed. "She's alive! You had me a tad bit worried when I heard through some of the guys that you'd had a panic attack, hun'. And it sure scared Drift too. When he heard, Rodimus had to talk him out of coming straight down here."

Lotus sighed, wishing Drift had been there. _But, Rodimus needs him right now. For all his prideful boasting and puffed up public image, our fearless leader really does depend on his friends._ "What happened to the ship?"

Ratchet took over, shooing Swerve away from the berth and over to some blue and white bot asleep on the neighboring berth. "Our engines malfunctioned."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"..."

"Ratchet."

"A large group of bots fell out of the ship and landed somewhere below us. We've set down for now to retrieve bodies."

She gripped the sides of her berth and pulled her knees up to her chest, exhaling. Swerve looked at her. "Just stay calm hun', Drift will be down later."

Lotus nodded and kept her mind off of what had happened, instead asking who the tiny bot was.

"No idea." Ratchet answered, patting Lotus's helm absentmindedly. "We found him just before we took off."

"How did I not notice him?"

"Well, you would have if you'd been in here like you were supposed to be, but thanks to your late entrance, you seemed to have skipped over your new berth neighbor."

Lotus huffed. "Hope he gets out of here sooner then me. This place sucks."

"If you would-"

"Don't. Even. Say it."

Ratchet stopped, and turned away. That hurt Lotus, but she only turned on her side, away from him and the others.

* * *

Drift finished his call down to the med bay. He tried to keep his smile, but it faded. He could tell that Lotus was still asleep by the lack of arguing going on, but hoped that somehow his cheerful message would keep her in good spirits.

He was still a bit peeved at Rodimus for keeping him from going to glue himself to Lotus's side, but understood why Rodimus had said what he had. Lotus would benefit long term from knowing he had been able to help save lives. Saving lives was always a top priority for Lotus, or, at least, it was these days.

He shook his helm, putting on a smile, thinking instead about what he would say to Lotus to cheer her up when he got ot visit her. And, hopefully, she would be cleared for walking around in the next few days. Then she could be by his side a lot more.

These thoughts kept him going. Then, everything calmed down, and Rodimus told him to go down to the medbay.


	3. Chapter 2

**Kon'nichiwa! (Hello!) I do not own Transformers, only Lotus.** ** _NO FLAMES_** **, but comments, questions, and helpful tips are welcome! Enjoy!**

Lotus turned over as soon as she heard the door to the medbay open. Drift walked in, and ran to her side. She clung to him as he held her and rocked back and forth.

She laid her helm on his shoulder, smelling his scent that calmed her so easily. "Drift, is everyone safe?"

"Ore, Hyperion, and Polaris are dead." Drift told her gently. "But everyone else is okay."

She closed her optics and shuddered, digging her mouth up against his neck cables. "We got lucky. So many could have died…"

He tried to not shudder, but he did lean into her. The feeling of her talking against his throat was...incredible. "I have to go back up soon-"

"Soon. But not yet?"

"Hai."

Lotus smiled against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Then lay here with me?"

"Hai."

Ratchet watched as the two layed down together on the small berth, Lotus laying her helm in the crook of Drift's neck. Ratchet usually found Drift frustrating, but when he was with Lotus, he found the younger mech to be tolerable.

* * *

Lotus woke up to find Drift gone-which had been expected-and a stranger poking his head through the vent above the berth to her left- _not_ expected. "Who the hell are you?" She asked him, peeved at Ratchet for not being there to keep bots from waking her up.

He looked down and saw her, and his optics widened. "Oops. Sorry. Wrong-wait, are you Lotus?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Hurry!" He leaped down form the vent and pulled her up.

She leaned all of her weight backwards, throwing him off balance. "Hold up! Who the hell are you?! Where are we going?"

"Oh, right. I'm Skids. There's some kind of creature loose on board, and it's either going for you, or that fellow Rung. Some mech named Drift asked me over a comn line-demanded, really-that I come and get you, and make sure you stayed safe."

Lotus stopped resisting, but continued to talk as he lifted her up into the vent. "I can take care of myself!"

"No doubt, but this fellow, Drift, seemed pretty worried. Who is he to you, exactly?"

"A good friend, and the only reason I'm not castrating you right now." She grumbled.

They crawled through the tiny space, Skids in front and leading her, when they heard a loud _SKIRTCH!_ Skids punched through the nearest vent and reached down. "Come here, eyebrows!"

Lotus rolled her optics and pushed forwards, giving Rung the peace sign as she passed him to lead them. _Of course this would be my luck. Just wanted some sleep, and now there's a damn_ sparkeater _on board._


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! I do not own Transformers, only Lotus. Please feel free to leave a comment, question, or helpful tip, but no flames. Have a good day!**

"Thanks for the save." Rung told Lotus and Skids as the three of them crawled through the ventilation system. "How did you know I was in trouble?"

Skids grinned. "The terrified screams kinda gave it away. And I don't want to panic you further...but that _thing_ is right behind us."

Lotus looked back, and sure enough, the hell beast itself was pulling itself along, right behind them. "Hai, that certainly isn't alarming at all."

A little panal unfolded from Rung's side. "I've got an incoming message.." He explained when Lotus gave him a weird look.

Rodimus's voice came over the comm. "It's Rung, right? Ultra Magnus says you might have a sparkeater on your tail, in which case I'm sorry. We thought everyone would be safe in their rooms, but it seems the hab suite doors are a lot thinner than the ones down here...the engine rooms have reinforced walls. We think the neutrals managed to trap the sparkeater and feed it turbofoxes to keep it docile.

"Listen, Rung, I need you to do something for me…I need you to head down here, to the engine rooms, and bring the sparkeater with you, I'll be waiting. Don't worry, I've got a plan-and it's a cracker."

Skids peered over Rung's shoulder as Rodimus's face faded. "Congratulations! How does it feel to be used as bait? Hope this "cracker" plan of his doesn't involve anyone dying."

Lotus snorted, trying to not laugh as it would slow her down. "Rodimus has always had a plan, it's just a fifty-fifty chance as to whether or not it'll work." She winced at a sharp sting in her side, but ignored it.

Skids kicked open yet another vent. "Okay, so the quickest way to the engine rooms is down the elevator shaft." He shifted one of his arms into a grappling hook.

"How come you get a grappling hook and all I get is a thumb with a microphone in it?" Rung complained, pointing at his thumb.

"A thumb with a-?"

Lotus groaned. "Move it, or we'll all become one within the sparkeater!"

Lotus and Rung clung to Skids back as he lowered them all down the shaft. They landed with a _thunk._

Skids poked his head into the elevator. "Engine rooms."

Brainstorm looked up, a little confused, but not really fazed. "It's Skids, right? We all thought you were de-"

"Just take us to the damn engine rooms!" Skids shouted.

 _RRRRRRRIP!_ The metal on the top of the elevator peeled back at the claws of the sparkeater.

The doors started to open and Skids shoved Lotus and Rung out. "Go! Go!"

Lotus looked back. "But Brainstorm's trapped!"

"Then I'm sorry," Skids told her, "but he's already dead."

 _NO. No more death._ Lotus looked back one last time, and sprinted forwards, leaving them behind. "Lotus!" Both of them shouted.

Lotus ignored them, and the pain in her side. A familiar face peered out from around the corner, but she ran full force past Drift and Rodimus. Leaping up, she took hold of one of the crevices on the engine, screaming. "COME AND GET ME!"

She now had the sparkeater's full attention. To it, she was so bright it had to squint. _Food..._ It dashed past Skids, Rung, Drift, and Rodimus, coming straight for her.

Rodimus screamed, "NOW!" into his comm, while Drift shouted for Lotus to jump. She did, somersaulting off of the engine and propelling the sparkeater into the engine with her peds.

Lotus landed safely in Drift's arms, screaming as a pain ripped through her side. The IV was pulled from her arm quickly as she thrashed around, pulling and clawing at everything.

Drift shouted, "Someone call Ratchet!" right before she blacked out.


	5. Chapter 4

**I do not own Transformers and certainly not More Than Meets the Eye. If you enjoy this story line and haven't read the original comics, I highly suggest going to check them out. The art and dialogue are amazing and hilarious! (I do own Lotus) Enjoy!**

"What the hell are you on about now?" Lotus asked Swerve. The bar was busy, but no one bothered her, other than some happy "hello!"s and congratulations on being cleared for escort walks around the ship. Her escort today? Chromedome. He was sitting just across the room from her, keeping a close optic on her.

"Just think about it!" Swerve told her, handing her a glass of energon. She didn't touch it, but at least he'd tried. "All of the stories you and Drift could tell, it would get everyone so-"

"Worried." Lotus told him. "Two ex-Decepticons telling stories about their pasts? Rung's office would be overrun with bots having flashbacks and PTSD attacks."

"So? Maybe that would happen and maybe it wouldn't, fifty-fifty chance. At least consider coming to our hangouts? To just have nice-normal-conversations and get to know some of the others?"

Lotus rested her helm in her palm, raising one brow. "Pretty sure I can't, pal."

"Why not?"

Chromedome came and sat down on the stool beside Lotus. "Ratchet would have a fit if she started to "exert her energy" just after he cleared her for these walk arounds."

Swerve slammed his servos down on the table. "But you'll be there! I'll be there! Drift might even be there! Everyone who's gonna be there would watch out for her, and-and…" He switched tactics. "There's just no way we would let something happen to you, Lotus!" He told her.

Someone wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned into Drift as he told Swerve, "Sorry, I have to take her with me." He picked her up and left them behind, leaving Swerve complaining at the interruption.

"What was Swerve going on about now?" Drift asked Lotus as she stretched out in his arms and laid her head on his chest.

"He wants me to starts coming to the get togethers with him and the others, but I can't just yet."

"Hmm. Do you want to go?"

"Of course. I'd love to be able to start acting like a normal bot again, but… anyways. So, why do I have to go wherever it is we're going?"

"You, me, Ratchet, and Pipes are being sent down to Delphi on the planet Messatine to check up on things. There have been some odd reports coming in, and it's worrying."

"How worrying?"

"Half of the patients dying, worrying."

"Oh. Oh _Primus_." She buried her face in his chest plates, shivering. "And why the hell am I coming? I can just stay in the med-bay!"

"No medical personal to watch over you."

"Uh? I can name at least four bots off the top of my processor that are trained in medical-"

"No one we trust enough to hand you over to them for who knows how long."

Lotus nodded. She knew Ratchet was getting more and more protective over her, with all of the craziness of the sparkeater and such, but most of this had to be coming from Drift. She couldn't imagine Ratchet ever caring about an ex-decepticon enough to bring her with him off ship just to make sure she didn't hurt herself.


	6. Chapter 5

**I still don't own Transformers or More Than Meets the Eye, but I do own Lotus. Enjoy!**

Lotus didn't know much about Pipes, other than he was very curious, and pretty peppy for the most part. On the landing ship, Pipes had asked Lotus and Drift a few question about how they knew each other, but quickly stopped when he noticed Lotus getting grumpy. Most bots didn't know when to stop. So far, she liked him.

"And we couldn't just park outside because…?" Pipes asked, and Lotus said, "Yeah! It's cold! And wet! It's cold and wet and I hate both of those things!"

Ratchet shot both of the younger bots a look. "Because, Lotus and Pipes, we're playing it safe. This whole setup feels-I don't know. I can't put my finger on it."

Both Lotus and Drift said at the same time. "It's called intuition." They looked at each other and yelled, "Jinx!" then Drift teased Ratchet about not believing in intuition in the first place.

"Okay," Pipes said, "guess what. Anyone…? No? No guesses? Alright, I'll tell you: this is my first proper alien planet. It's true! I've spent my whole life on Cybertron or on space stations. That's why I joined the _Lost Light_ : so me and the universe could get up close and personal."

Ratchet glanced over at Pipes. "So, what do you make of the universe so far?"

"Wet. Wet and kinda brilliant." Pipes thought for a moment before talking again. "Hey, this is the D.J.D.'s stomping ground, isn't it?"

Lotus rolled her optics. _Thanks, Pipes. As if I wasn't already worrying about enough as it is._

"Swerve saw them in action once. He was so traumatized that he could speak for six whole months. Said it was the worst things that had ever happened to him."

"What, seeing the D.J.D.?" Ratchet asked.

"No, not being able to speak."

"Ratchet," Drift said, "this whole Delphi whistleblower thing...what if everything turns out to be okay? Boring and okay?"

"Then I get to something nice for a change and ,ake Pharma the new chief medical officer."

"Why Pharma?"

"You wouldn't ask me that if you'd seen him work. See, good medics-it's all in the hands. There's a certain...fluidity of movement. You can't _buu=ild_ hands like that."

"Are you telling me that all the best medics were _forged_?" Drift asked, unbelieving.

"Yes. And no. I don't think it proves the existence of adaptus."

They pulled up to the medical base. Drift helped Lotus off by catching her when she hopped into his arms.

Pipes observed the doors. "Looks deserted. We could've parked outside after all."

"Why don't you look for a way in while I cloak the MARBS." Ratchet said, ignoring Pipes's comment.

Pipes shrugged and went to examine the doors with Lotus.

"You scared of the D.J.D., Drift?" Ratchet asked, offhandedly.

"I'm sorry, am I _what_? Am I scared?"

"Ex-'con like you. High profile ex-'con. Just asking."

"Would I be standing here if the D.J.D. bothered me in the _slightest_?"

"I've operated on P.O.W.S. who've _begged_ me not to save them-Decepticons who'd rather die than get added to the D.J.D.'s list as punishment for getting captured…but you're not bothered." Ratchet looked up from his pad, and stared at Drift.

Drift avoided Ratchet's gaze, looking over his shoulder at Lotus. Her white paint glittered with the light reflecting off of the snow. She looked beautiful.

"Oi, you three-what's this then?" Pipes gestured at the large X across the doors.

"That would be the second most terrifying symbol in the universe." Ratchet answered.

"What's the first?"

"Give Drift your spark casing and he'll show you."

Lotus laughed while Drift playfully pushed her-very-lightly. "You know, Ratchet, one day you'll say something nice to me-just before you tell me I've got a terminal illness or something."

Lotus hugged Drift. "If you ever got a terminal illness, I would get it too, just so we could laugh at all the suckers who're gonna live."

"Okay," Pipes said, transforming. "So, this is the bit where we break in, right?"

"What are you doing?" Everyone exclaimed.

"I'm trying to be impulsive!" Pipes said as he rammed into the doors.

Drift flipped out of the way with Lotus close by. Ratchet flung himself to the side and groaned, holding his hip. "That'll hurt later."

Lotus and Drift peered inside. Bodies were piled on slabs, and were gathered around the door. Red, liquid rust ran all over the floor, and Pipes was sitting in the rust with someone's dead body's arm laying over him.

Lotus stepped inside. "Yuck. And I thought Ratchet's med-bay was gross."

Pipes transformed and held his arms out to the side, looking scared and disgusted. "Uh, guys…? I'm covered in-oh _Primus_. I think I'm covered in _dead people_."


	7. Chapter 6

**I don't own Transformers or More Than Meets the Eye. Please check out the comics if you haven't already read them! Enjoy!**

"That cross on the wall?" Ratchet told Pipes. "The one you just _ignored_? It's the universal plague symbol. It means " _stay the hell away"_ in a billion languages. It does _not_ mean "ram-raid a morgue"!"

Drift looked around at the dead bots and nearly gagged. "Hands up who thinks this tip's just taken a turn for the worse." Both him and Lotus lifted a hand.

"A plague symbol?" Pipes asked. "Am I infected or something?"

Ratchet raised an eye ridge. "I don't know. Probably not. Hopefully not."

"What about "definitely not"? Is "definitely not" in there? 'Cos that's my favorite."

"Pipes, behind you!" Drift and Lotus said. Drift ran behind Pipes and sliced the "zombie bot" to death.

 _Slutch!_

 _Slice!_

 _Ksss!_

"What was _that_?!" Ratchet asked, appalled.

Drift put his swords away. "I don't know, but I think it was infected."

"I'm talking about _you_! What's with all the- _slicing_?!"

"He was going to attack Pipes!"

"He was moving at two miles an hour!" Ratchet looked at the head of the-now-dead bot from a distance. He sighed and said, "I know this guy. His name was Prowl."

"Prowl?" Drift looked sceptical and confused, thinking of the more famous-or rather, infamous-bot that most people knew.

"Not _the_ Prowl, obviously. This Prowl changed his name to... _Dent_ , I think. To avoid confusion."

" _Dent_? He called himself _Dent_? As in-as in _Dent_?"

"Yeah, well, all the best names are taken."

"Hello?" A face popped through a door. "Anyone down there? I though I heard...bickering. Ratchet?!"

"First Aid." Ratchet said. "Do me a favor and explain- _everything_."

"Oh, Ratchet-it's _bad_. We've been hit by this-this _virus_. This _red rust_. Everyone's dying…! I was trying to find a patient. He escaped the ward and-" First Aid looked around and stopped his patient's body parts laying around the room. "Ah. I see you found him first."

"Sorry." Drift apologized. "He attacked Pipes."

Ratchet coughed into his hand. "Sort of."

First Aid stood and saw Pipes covered in the residue of what didn't fall off of him by then. He shone a light in Pipes optics. "Pipes, I presume?"

"What gave it away? Was it the pipes?" Pipes asked.

"Hmm. You _look_ okay. Ish."

"Can we try that again without the "ish"…?"

"Afraid not-the virus is transmitted by physical contact, but it can lay dormant in the body for hours, even days." First Aid grabbed a red drawing stick and slowly drew a red X on Pipes cheek. "Keep still. This just tells people that you've come into contact with an infected patient."

""Stay the hell away"." Pipes recited from Ratchet's earlier scolding.

"Yeah. Something like that."

Lotus groaned. "Guys, I'm starting to wish I was back on the _Lost Light_."


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello! I do not own Transformers, nor More Than Meets the Eye. I only own Lotus, and her story. Enjoy!**

"Well, first off," First Aid explained to Ratchet, "your optics corrode and leak down your face. And then, full-blown liquefaction. Every hinge, every pivot-everything rusts and your spark starts to collapse. We lost dozens in the first hour-the security team, the miners…"

Ratchet nodded. Then he pointed at the red X on First Aid's face. " _That_ says you've touched infected come _you_ aren't displaying any symptoms?"

"Ambulon thinks us medics are more resilient because we've been exposed to so many diseases. Personally...I think that sometimes-just sometimes, mind-life persists."

"You should have called for help." Drift spoke up.

"Easier said than done. All communications have been done since the big bang."

"The _big bang_?" Drift asked.

"Five days ago there was this noise-" First Aid explained as they all stopped outside of a door. "-like an explosion. Loudest thing you've ever heard. Afterwards, people started getting sick. We think the D.J.D. detonated some kind of dirty bomb-we just can't work out where. And to be honest…" the door opened, "...we've had other things on our mind."

Lotus gasped. Patients were laying on medical slabs with deteriorating bodies. Holes were in their chests and limbs, their metal falling in on itself from something working to kill them from the inside out.

How could they possibly work to help cure this?

* * *

"I can't help noticing, Ambulon," Ratchet said as he examined some of the patients both dead and alive. "That none of your older patients are showing signs of infection. They're not "crying"."

"Yeah-for some reason the long-term patients aren't affected."

"And this is everyone?"

"Not quite."

Ambulon showed him to another room. Ratchet's optics grew wide. "I'd heard he was still alive. I'd sort of hoped-for his sake-I'd sort of hoped it wasn't true."

"Pharma calls it an eternal coma. We've tried everything to wake him up…"

First Aid walked him holding a clamp. "Except that's a teensy bit misleading, isn't it?"

Ambulon held his head and sighed. "Here we go again...First Aid, we've been through this a thousand times…"

"Been through what?" Ratchet asked.

First Aid turned to Ratchet, hopeful. "I've developed a new method of spark resuscitation. Basically- _very_ basically-you use a healthy spark to boost a faltering one. I call it "jump-starting". Ambulon sat it's too risky, but you're here now. What do _you_ think?"

"I think it's high time I saw Pharma."

"Okay, fine, but-I can do this. I'll use my own spark. It'll work. _Trust_ me. What do you say?"

* * *

Ambulon gestured at the containment unit Pharma was in. Soundproof. Most likely bullet and sword proof. Definitely a well built containment unit if Lotus had ever seen one. But, something had to have gone wrong, or Pharma wouldn't be trying to tap out messages to them from the other side.

"I haven't done anything." Ambulon said. "That's the quarantine room. Pharma was working in there when we heard the big bang. The door sealed itself automatically. It won't open until enough time had passed for all known technopathogens to die out."

Ratchet looked mildly shocked. "But that'll take-"

"Millions of years. Yeah, I know."

"-" Pharma's mouth moved, but no one could hear anything he said.

Lotus tilted her head. "Hm, this is why I wish more people would learn that human thing called morse code. It's so useful."

Drift tilted his head. "Don't Cybertronians have something similar to that?"

"Sort of, but I find morse code to be much better...only catch is that it doesn't make sense unless you know English or some other Earth language."

Pharma continued to speak. Ratchet leaned closer to the glass. "That glass is think. I can't hear what he's saying. You _do_ know you can override this lock, right? You're the ward manager-you've got clearance to unlock _anything_."

Ambulon looked confused. "Really?"

Pharma quickly took a tool and burned a message into the palm of his hand. He pressed it up against the glass. It read, "YOUR FRIEND IS UPSET".

Everyone turned. "Pipes!" Pipes was slowly coming towards them with shaking limbs and "bloody tears" running down his face. "Help me…" He begged.

Drift pulled out his swords but Lotus pulled his arms down so he wasn't pointing them at Pipes.

"I feel funny…" Pipes told them.

Ratchet tried to calm him down. "Keep talking. Talking is _good_. Talking means you're winning."

"...But I'm scared…"

"Focus! Describe your symptoms-help me understand! Tell me how it feels!"

"...It feels wet...and kinda horrible."

Lotus stepped forwards. "Hey, Pipes, remember the snow from earlier? Think about that. Think about how it felt to touch it."

"O-okay."

"Now, tell me how it felt on your hands."

"Wet...and soft…"

"Good, that good. Do you remember how it felt when you stepped in it?"

"More wet...and squishy."

"That's good. I remember that to…" Lotus smiled at him sadly as he stared at her and shook. He'd stopped moving, and was just staring at her.

"Lo-Lotus...I'm so sorry...you should be back home…UURRRGGH!" Pipes's body convulsed suddenly, and more rust appeared.

Ratchet ran over to the lock on the containment unit where Pharma was. "Drift-keep him occupied while I get Pharma... _don't_ kill him!" The door opened a minute later. "Out you come!" Pharma sprinted out of the room.

Drift and Lotus were huddled in a corner. Pipes's optics and mouth were spraying liquid rust in their direction. "Ratchet!" Drift yelled. "He's cornered me! What do I do?"

"Something _non-fatal_!"

Drift tossed his sword, transformed and sped past Pipes, transformed into his bipedal form, caught the sword, and knocked Pipes out with the hilt of it. "I think you should sleep this one off." Drift told Pipes.

Lotus walked around Pipes and kneeled down, exhausted. "He doesn't deserve this. He just wanted to see what it looked like…"

Everyone stared down at Pipes. "I'll take him back to the ward and hook him up to a nucleon feed, but him some time." Ambulon said.

Drift turned to Ratchet. "What happened to Pharma?"

"He went running off to the cells. He says he's worked out what's happened…"


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello! I do not own Transformers, nor More Than Meets the Eye. I do own Lotus and her story, though. Enjoy!**

Everyone ran for the med-bay. Ambulon was carrying Pipes in his arms. Pipes had lost a leg, his optics were blank, and he was moaning.

Ambulon set Pipes down gently on a slab and Ratchet moved to hold one of his hands. "I've got you.

Ambulon began to hook Pipes up to the machine. "First Aid told you my theory, then? That medics are uniquely resistant to the effects of the virus?"

"All I know is that this Autobot is scared." Ratchet looked at Lotus as she kneeled down twelve feet from the slab and whispered to herself. "I'm just pleased that my hands are still good for something." Ratchet realized that Lotus was praying.

Lotus whispered to Primus, begging him to not let Pipes and the others be in pain. "Please, take their pain away. Pipes needs more life than what he's lived. They all do. They need to be shown how wonderful the universe can be, and not die with cries of pain on their lips."

Drift approached them. "Ratchet? I need to talk to you…"

"Stay back! You might get infected."

Lotus looked up at Drift and gasped, falling back and crying out. Drift looked at her and Ratchet sadly. "I think it's a bit late for that. Pipes must've sprayed me. I'm sorry."

Lotus stood and walked towards him but Ratchet grabbed her. "Careful, or you'll get infect-"

Pharma was tossed into the room sending Drift who was weak on his feet, flying too.

Lotus ran to him, breaking out of Ratchet's grasp as he exclaimed, "Pharma?!"

"They were...waiting for me-the Decepticons. Someone had already let them out. Some sort-some sort of remote override."

Two Decepticons walked in, both armed with guns. They grinned dangerously. "What have we here?" One of them said to the other.

"Some Autobots, some medics, and a traitor." The other one replied.

"Really? All I see is a room full of the dead and the dying. And believe me, that a generous use of the present tense."

Lotus leaned Drift against a berth and leaned into him careful not to put any of her slight weight on his weak body. Lotus snarled when one of the 'Cons caught sight of her and smirked flirtatiously.

Ratchet stepped in his line of view, blocking off Lotus from him. "Alright, _enough._ I don't know who you are, but you've won, okay? If that's what it takes to send you on your way, then fine. You've won."

Lotus buried her face in Drift's neck, shaking. She knew Ratchet would do anything to save his patients, including surrendering to the hands of 'Cons.

First Aid walked out of the side room where he had been. He had two clamps clamped onto his chest, and was holding the other ends in his hands. "Ratchet...my friend here begs to differ."

 _Oh. Sweet Primus. Fort Max…_ Lotus thought, in awe of the huge Autobot.

Fortress Maximus stepped forwards, growling as he told the two Decepticons, "Do you two realize where you're standing? No? Then let me explain. My name is Fortress Maximus. Five years ago I was attacked by a Decepticon so _powerful_ he redefined the word. He took me down. _Hard_. I was paralyzed, lobotomized, and left for dead. All of which means that _right now_ , you two-you two _Decepticons_ -being the very first Decepticons I've encountered since I was all but _beaten_ to _death_ -are standing in the _very worst place in the universe._ "


	10. Chapter 9

**I do not own Transformers. I only own Lotus. Enjoy...**

Lotus mumbled into Drift's neck cables when Ratchet tried to pull her from him. Fortress Maximus had only just finished his slaughter of the two 'Cons.

Lotus's mind was overcome with thoughts that said if Fort Max knew she and Drift were ex-Decepticons, then he would rip them apart just as painfully. She was minorly aware of Drift's arm moving around her, and Ratchet's hands trying to gently pull her away, but all of her hearing was gone.

Ratchet shook his head. He lifted both of them into his arms and balanced carefully, setting them down on a berth together.

Lotus curled up into Drift's arms when he weakly set them over her head and over her body protectively.

Lotus felt her stomach tanks flip-flopping. Dangerously close to throwing up, she felt something she hadn't in hundreds of years-the fear of getting sick. She clenched her stomach muscles and shook, trying to keep from heaving out the meager food in there.

She wondered briefly if this was how others felt when they got sick.

Lotus's vision went black; she felt her limbs go numb, and then didn't feel anything.

* * *

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...us."

"Lotus."

Lotus heard him first. Then, she felt someone's arms around her. Familiar, and safe.

"Will she be okay?" Fast, worried talk.

"Yes." He answered calmly. "She just needs rest." He rested her helm on his shoulder, and was sure she could hear his spark humming. "Lotus, _anzen. Anzen_ , Lotus."

* * *

Lotus opened her optics slowly. She was in the med-bay. Sitting in a chair, head in one hand, was Drift.

Drift's other hand was holding her's gently, rubbing the back of her hand.

Lotus opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. Her throat felt dry. Her whole body felt stiff, and dried up. It was...unpleasant.

Lotus looked up at the ceiling.

She hadn't felt these symptoms in months, having gotten used to the feelings that came with getting sick often and not getting nearly enough food.

Closing her optics tightly, she felt like crying, but couldn't. Her body had no more liquids to spare.

…

She should have been getting some liquids from the IV…

Looking briefly through squinted optics, she found it was gone.

She leaned her head back down quietly.

When she tried to open her optics again, she couldn't. Her body was giving up. She wanted to scream at Ratchet for not hooking her up to liquids, but realized what was happening when she remembered her inability to say anything.

This was her _last chance_. No one wanted her to go through life living in a med-bay for the rest of her life. They were giving her one last chance to try and live.

Lotus felt awful. Her stomach was screaming, her body was stiff and shaking, her optics burned, and she could barely feel Drift's hand in her's…

"Drift." Rodimus. "She'll come through."

"...If Ratchet believed that, he would not have pulled her IV line out." Drift' voice was scratchy, and rough. It sounded like he had been crying, or yelling, or both.

"Listen, Lotus is tough. Even if she doesn't have the will to keep on going for herself, she'll keep going for you."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Lotus convulsed. It was the slightest of movements, but it felt like running. She heard gasps. She heaved air in and out of her vents, rolling her optics around in her head.

After a good five minutes of twitching, she cracked open her optic lids and opened her mouth. "Sei...katsu…"

 _Life. I choose life._


End file.
